Blister package with oprable flap

ABSTRACT

In one aspect, the present invention features a blister card display package including a card containing a front sheet having a front outer face and a front inner face and a rear sheet having a rear outer face and a rear inner face, wherein at least a portion of the rear inner face is affixed to the front inner face; and a unitary blister pack mounted between the front inner face and the rear inner face and containing a plurality of blister portions for containing an article to be displayed and a rupturable film sheet covering the blister portions; wherein the rear sheet contains one or more openings that allow the blister portions to protrude through the rear outer face of the card and the front sheet contains an operable flap that allows access to the portion of the rupturable film sheet covering the blister portions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Blister card display packages are commonly used in retail merchandisingto contain and display small articles. Such packages often include apaperboard card on which the product name and other information isprinted and a plastic blister pack containing the article secured on thecard. In addition, a hole is often placed at the top of the card so thatthe package can be hung from an extended peg of a pegboard display.

Blister packages are also often used to contain multiple small articlessuch as tablets, each contained within a separate blister portion. See,e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,866,476. However, such package requiressubstantial amount of paperboard to protect the rupturable film portioncovers the unused blister portions when not in use, resulting thepackages being thick and bulky.

The present invention relates to an improved blister package containinga plurality of blister portions that includes an operable flap thatallows access to the rupturable film sheet covering the blisterportions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention features a blister card displaypackage including a card containing a front sheet having a front outerface and a front inner face and a rear sheet having a rear outer faceand a rear inner face, wherein at least a portion of the rear inner faceis affixed to the front inner face; and a unitary blister pack mountedbetween the front inner face and the rear inner face and containing aplurality of blister portions for containing an article to be displayedand a rupturable film sheet covering the plurality of blister portions;wherein the rear sheet contains one or more openings that allow theplurality of blister portions to protrude through the rear outer face ofthe card and the front sheet contains an operable flap that allowsaccess to the portion of the rupturable film sheet covering theplurality of blister portions.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the detailed description of the invention and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of blister card display package 1 showingcard 5 and unitary blister pack 40 prior to mounting of unitary blisterpack 40 on card 5.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of blister card display package 1 showingblister portions 45 protruding through rear sheet 25.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of blister card display package 1 showingoperable flap 60 in the closed position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of blister card display package 1 showingoperable flap 60 in the open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is believed that one skilled in the art can, based upon thedescription herein, utilize the present invention to its fullest extent.The following specific embodiments can be construed as merelyillustrative, and not limitative of the remainder of the disclosure inany way whatsoever.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which the invention belongs. Also, all publications, patentapplications, patents, and other references mentioned herein areincorporated by reference. As used herein, all percentages are by weightunless otherwise specified.

As discussed above, the present invention features a blister carddisplay package. As shown in FIG. 1, the blister card display package 1includes a card 5 and a unitary blister pack 40. The card 5 may be madeof a variety of materials, such as paperboard or a rigid or semi-rigidplastic sheet. In one embodiment, the card 5 is desirably made ofrecyclable material. The card 5 has both a front sheet 10 (having both afront outer face 15 and a front inner face 20) and a rear sheet 25(having a rear outer face 30 and a rear inner face 35). In oneembodiment as shown in FIG. 1, the card 5 is made of a unitary sheetthat can be folded along crease 6 to form the front sheet 10 and therear sheet 25. In another embodiment (not shown), the front sheet andthe rear sheet are separate sheets which may or may not be made of thesame material.

As shown in FIG. 2, in order to mount unitary blister pack 40, at leasta portion of the rear inner face 35 of rear sheet 25 is affixed to thefront inner face 20 of front sheet 10. In one embodiment, rear sheet 25is affixed to front sheet 10 by use of heat sealing, adhesive seals(such as with heat-activated or solvent adhesive such as glues), RF orsonic seals, or any other suitable means. The materials of the frontsheet 10 and the rear sheet 25 may be pre-treated to facilitate sealingof such materials together. In one embodiment, rear sheet 25 is affixedto front sheet 10 proximate to one or more of edges 31, 32, 33, and 34.

As mentioned above, the blister card display package 1 includes aunitary blister pack 40. The unitary blister pack 40 contains aplurality of blister portions 45 for containing the article to bedisplayed by the blister card display package 1. In one embodiment, theunitary blister pack 40 includes at least four blister portions 45, suchas at least eight four blister portions 45, such as at least ten blisterportions 45.

The unitary blister pack 40 and/or the blister portions 45 may be madeinto a variety of shapes and sizes based upon the shape, size, andfriability of the articles to be contained within. The blister pack 40and/or the blister portions 45 may also be made of a variety ofmaterials suitable to hold and protect the articles to be containedwithin. In one embodiment, the blister portions are made of atransparent plastic material to allow the articles to be seen throughthe blister portions 45. Such plastic material may be clear or havecolor. The unitary blister pack 40 may be manufactured by various meansknown in the art, including thermoform and injection molding techniques.The unitary blister pack 40 may be manufacture with a rigid orsemi-rigid material. Suitable materials include, but are not limited to,plastic materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene,polychlorotrifluoroethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, cyclic olefincopolymer, ethylene vinyl alcohol, high density polyethylene, polyvinylchloride, polyvinylidene chloride, fluorinated-chlorinated resin,fluoropolymer, and mixtures and laminates thereof. In one embodiment,the unitary blister pack 40 is desirably made of recyclable material.

The unitary blister pack 40 also contains a rupturable film sheet 50covering each of the plurality of blister portions 45. Rupturable filmsheet 50 retains the article within blister portion 45, but allows theuser to intentionally remove the article from a blister portion 45 byrupturing the part of rupturable film sheet 50 covering such blisterportion (such portions depicted within areas 51 in FIG. 4). Therupturable film sheet 50 may include features or materials such as aheat sealable layer, aluminum foil, adhesive/bonding layers, primer,polyester, paper, metalized film, polyethylene, ink for printing,polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, bi-axially oriented polypropylene,ethylene vinyl alcohol, and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, therupturable film sheet 50 is a laminate of thin metal foil such asaluminum foil and paper. The foil side of the laminate faces the articlecontained in the blister portion 45 and the paper side serves as anadditional area to add writing or instructions for the user. Therupturable film may be ruptured by the user by pushing the articlethrough the portion of the film above the blister portion, by peelingback or breaking such portion of the film, which may or may not beperforated or pre-cut, to expose the article, or by other similar means.In one embodiment, the rupturable film sheet 50 is desirably made ofrecyclable material.

In one embodiment, rupturable film sheet 50 is affixed to unitaryblister pack 40 by use of heat sealing, adhesive seals (such as withheat-activated or solvent adhesive such as glues), RF or sonic seals, orany other suitable means. The materials of the rupturable film sheet 50and the unitary blister pack 40may be pre-treated to facilitate sealingof such materials together.

As shown in FIG. 2, the unitary blister pack 40 is mounted between thefront inner face 20 of front sheet 10 and the rear inner face 35 of rearsheet 25. As shown in FIG. 1, rear sheet 25 contains blister openings 55that allow the plurality of blister portions 45 to protrude through rearouter face 15 of rear sheet 25. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2,there is a blister opening for each blister portion. Such arrangementalso assists maintaining the blister pack 40 mounted between front sheet10 and rear sheet 25 In another embodiment (not shown), multiple blisterportions protrude through a single blister opening.

As shown in FIG. 3, front sheet 10 contains an operable flap 60 thatallows access to the portion of the rupturable film sheet 50 coveringthe plurality of blister portions 45. FIG. 3 depicts operable flap 60 ina closed position, covering the portion of the rupturable film sheet 50covering the plurality of blister portions 45. Flap 60 may initially beopened by breaking flap perforations 61 and folding operable flap 60along flap crease 62. FIG. 4 depicts operable flap 60 in an openposition, exposing the portion of the rupturable film sheet 50 coveringthe plurality of blister portions 45 (such portions depicted withinareas 51 in FIG. 4). By exposing the rupturable film sheet 50, the userof the package is able to beak the portion of the rupturable film sheet50 covering a blister portion 45 and remove the article containedwithin. The operable flap 60 may then be returned to the closed positioncovering the portion of the rupturable film sheet 50 covering theremainder of blister portions 45 still containing articles.

The operable flap 60 also provides visibility to a portion of frontinner face 20 of the front sheet 10 when the operable flap 60 is in theopen position. In one embodiment, both the outer face of the operableflap 60 and the inner face of the operable flap 60 contain writing.

In one embodiment, front sheet 10 contains a single operable flap 60that allows access to the portion of the rupturable film sheet 50covering all of the plurality of blister portions 45. In anotherembodiment (not shown), front sheet 10 contains a plurality of operableflaps 60 each of which allows access to only a portion of the rupturablefilm sheet 50 covering only a portion of the plurality of blisterportions 45.

In one embodiment, operable flap 60 contains a tab 70 that is operativeto releasably maintain the operable flap 60 over the portion of therupturable film sheet 50 covering the plurality of blister portions 45.In one embodiment, when operable flap 60 is in the closed position, tab70 can come into frictional contact with edges 41 and 42 of rear sheet25, thereby maintaining operable flap 60 in the closed position.

In one embodiment, card 5 comprises one or more sets of perforations 75between a removable portion of card that is not in contact with theunitary blister package and the portion of the card that is in contactwith the unitary blister package. Such an embodiment allows for the useronce they have purchased the blister card display package 1 to remove aportion of card 5, thereby reducing the size of the blister card displaypackage.

In one embodiment, the unitary blister package contains an opening 80for hanging the blister card display package from a support device, suchas an extended peg of a pegboard display. In one embodiment, a removableportion of the card contains such opening for hanging the package from asupport device.

It is understood that while the invention has been described inconjunction with the detailed description thereof, that the foregoingdescription is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of theinvention, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims. Otheraspects, advantages, and modifications are within the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A blister card display package comprising: a cardcomprising a front sheet having a front outer face and a front innerface and a rear sheet having a rear outer face and a rear inner face,wherein at least a portion of said rear inner face is affixed to saidfront inner face; and a unitary blister pack mounted between said frontinner face and said rear inner face and comprising a plurality ofblister portions for containing an article to be displayed and arupturable film sheet covering said plurality of blister portions;wherein said rear sheet comprises one or more openings that allow saidplurality of blister portions to protrude through said rear outer faceof said card and said front sheet comprises an operable flap configuredto open to allow access to the portion of said rupturable film sheetcovering said plurality of blister portions and to be returned to aclosed position covering said portion of said rupturable film sheet. 2.A package of claim 1, wherein said card is comprised of a unitary sheetfolded to form said front sheet and said rear sheet.
 3. A package ofclaim 1, wherein said operable flap comprises a tab that is operative toreleasably maintain said operable flap over the portion of saidrupturable film sheet covering said plurality of blister portions.
 4. Apackage of claim 2, wherein said operable flap comprises a tab that isoperative to releasably maintain said operable flap over the portion ofsaid rupturable film sheet covering said plurality of blister portions.5. A package of claim 1, wherein said blister pack comprises at leastfour blister portions. 6-8. (canceled)
 9. A package of claim 1, whereinboth the outer face of said operable flap and the inner face of saidoperable flap contains writing. 10-12. (canceled)
 13. A package of claim1, wherein said plurality of blister portions are formed of atransparent plastic material.
 14. A package of claim 3, wherein saidplurality of blister portions are formed of a transparent plasticmaterial.
 15. A package of claim 5, wherein said plurality of blisterportions are formed of a transparent plastic material.
 16. A package ofclaim 1, wherein said card comprises perforations between a removableportion of the card that is not in contact with said unitary blisterpackage and the portion of the card that is in contact with said unitaryblister package.
 17. A package of claim 3, wherein said card comprisesperforations between a removable portion of the card that is not incontact with said unitary blister package and the portion of the cardthat is in contact with said unitary blister package.
 18. A package ofclaim 5, wherein said card comprises perforations between a removableportion of the card that is not in contact with said unitary blisterpackage and the portion of the card that is in contact with said unitaryblister package.
 19. A package of claim 1, wherein said card comprisesan opening for hanging the package from a support device.
 20. A packageof claim 16, wherein said removable portion of said card comprises anopening for hanging the package from a support device.
 21. A package ofclaim 1 wherein said card comprises a first set of perforations betweena first removable portion of the card that is not in contact with saidunitary blister package and the portion of the card that is in contactwith said unitary blister package and a second set of perforationsbetween a second removable portion of the card that is not in contactwith said unitary blister package and the portion of the card that is incontact with said unitary blister package.
 22. A blister card displaypackage comprising: a card comprising a front sheet having a front outerface and a front inner face and a rear sheet having a rear outer faceand a rear inner face, wherein at least a portion of said rear innerface is affixed to said front inner face; and a unitary blister packmounted between said front inner face and said rear inner face andcomprising a plurality of blister portions for containing an article tobe displayed and a rupturable film sheet covering said plurality ofblister portions; wherein said rear sheet comprises one or more openingsthat allow said plurality of blister portions to protrude through saidrear outer face of said card and said front sheet comprises an operableflap configured to open and close along a flap crease and allow accessto the portion of said rupturable film sheet covering said plurality ofblister portions.
 23. A package of claim 22, wherein said blister packcomprises at least four blister portions.
 24. A package of claim 23,wherein said card comprises perforations between a removable portion ofthe card that is not in contact with said unitary blister package andthe portion of the card that is in contact with said unitary blisterpackage.
 25. A package of claim 24, wherein said operable flap comprisesa tab that is operative to releasably maintain said operable flap overthe portion of said rupturable film sheet covering said plurality ofblister portions.
 26. A package of claim 25 wherein said card comprisesa first set of perforations between a first removable portion of thecard that is not in contact with said unitary blister package and theportion of the card that is in contact with said unitary blister packageand a second set of perforations between a second removable portion ofthe card that is not in contact with said unitary blister package andthe portion of the card that is in contact with said unitary blisterpackage.